"L. E. Modesitt - Recluce 11 - The Death of Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

Weldein laughed, and we turned onto the highway back to Kyphrien.
"Where am I supposed to meet Krystal?"
"In her quarters. Then you'll go to see the autarch."
The autarch didn't really have a palace, more like a walled residence that adjoined the guard
complex housing the Finest, who were the mounted troops that formed the core of the autarch's
forces. There was a much smaller crack infantry, but generally they only served as the autarch's
personal guard when she actually led forces into battle. Most ground troops were drawn from the
outliers, and they were locally recruited and housed in barracks all around Kyphros. That lack of
a large central military force had almost been the autarch's undoing in the recent war with the
Prefect of Gallos.
I guided Gairloch through the open gates behind Weldein and toward the front stable. The ostler
outside the guard area looked stolidly at me, but said nothing, only nodded. I couldn't blame
him... not too much. After stabling Gairloch in the end stall with the lower headroom, I walked
outside, and Weldein saluted me before turning his mount toward the guard stables.
"Good day, Order-master."
"Good day to you, Weldein."
"And to you, ser." He tipped the cap he had put on just before we entered the autarch's walls.
I walked across the paved courtyard and entered the main building, where Bidek looked away as I
passed. Herreld was the guard outside Krystal's door, and he rapped on it, but didn't let me in.
He never did, not without Krystal's command, and I'd never pressed it.
"Yes... good! You're here." She motioned, and I stepped past Herreld.
Once the door was closed, and I saw that no one else was in the conference room, I gave her a
hug, but didn't get as far as a kiss.
"I love you, too, but we don't have much time before we meet with Kasee." Her eyes had deep
circles under them, and she pursed her lips after speaking.
"What's the problem?"
"Ferrel's dead. At least, we think she is."
"That wizard of the new Duke's?"
"Something like that. I'll tell you what we know when we get to Kasee's study."
That was serious. I'd never been invited to the autarch's private study. Krystal did give in
and kissed me warmly, if quickly, after she pulled on the vest-jacket with all the braid
proclaiming her the subcommander. She straightened her blade, the same one I had bought for her in
Recluce when we were still training for the dangergeld, back when I thought she giggled too much,
and when she probably wished I'd grow up. She had stopped giggling, mostly, but I felt I still had
some growing up to do, even if I was considered an adult with a profession-or two of them.
We walked down one flight of stairs and turned right- toward the wing with the autarch's
quarters, offices, dining rooms, who knew what else. Even as a walled residence, and not a palace,
the place smelled important-scented lamp oil, wood polishes, a spray of lemon incense, and,
underlying it all, the distant odor of polished metal and working leather.
The whole setup was much less grandiose than, say, the palace of the Prefect of Gallos, with
its fountains and columns, and carpets. The modesty impressed me. There were two guards outside
the study door, the no-nonsense kind that look able to cut you apart and not raise a sweat.


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Krystal and I could have taken them, but, then, she could have done it single-handedly.
The autarch, who insisted I call her Kasee, even if I didn't always think of her on a name
basis, sat behind a wide table heaped with parchment, scrolls, and even a set of ledgers. She did